It is often desirable to provide a program guide in an electronic format that provides programming information such as broadcast or cable television programming schedules for regularly scheduled programs and events. The electronic program guide (or EPG) may be compiled by a service provider and delivered to the user via electronic transmissions systems. The electronic program guide is then displayable on an information handling system such that the user may view the programming information to decide which programs to watch and at what times to watch them.
One disadvantage of the traditional electronic program guide is that it typically only includes information for a predetermined time period, typically 72 hours (3 days) from the date and time of the download. Thus, a user is not able to view programming information for time periods beyond the end time of the period covered by the downloaded programming guide data. Furthermore, if a user wanted to set up a recording device to record a recurring program on a recurring basis, the user would not be certain that a given program is a recurring program on the basis of the program guide since the program guide only provides information for a predetermined window of time and not beyond the end time of the program guide data. Additionally, if a user desired to set up an information handling system to remind the user of the start time of a recurring program, the user could not do so with the limited program guide data.
Thus, there lies a need to provide an electronic program guide for an information handling system that is capable of generating a future program guide by determining program guide data beyond the window of time provided by downloaded program guide data. Further, it would be highly desirable to determine which programs in a set of program guide data are recurring programs such that the recurring programs may be indicated in the electronic program guide.